Further to our website ‘News’ report dated Saturday 30th November 2013, on the Joint Exercise we attended with GMFRS Horwich and LFRS Chorley Fire Station crews, held at GMFRS Horwich Fire Station, the following report has been published on the website of GMFRS, which we have reproduced here;

Mock RTC sees casualties impaled for joint training exercise

A ROAD accident which left casualties impaled on metal poles proved a challenging but worthwhile training opportunity for neighbouring fire and rescue services.

Crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) teamed up with Bolton Mountain Rescue Team (BMRT) for the training exercise on Saturday, November 30.

Horwich and Chorley firefighters were faced with a simulated road traffic collision in the grounds of Horwich Fire Station, which involved a number of serious injuries and casualties.

“We also simulated a metal bar piercing through the windscreen and the driver then through to the seat, and to make things even more difficult I had a casualty in the rear of the car.”

Firefighters had to work closely and carefully to carry out hydraulic cutting of the car and remove the injured people, whilst mountain rescue team members treated the casualties.

The serious nature of the injuries meant that delicate extrication was needed along with close working between all parties involved.

Watch Manager Lunt added: “I arranged the training because in the past few weeks we’ve been sent to Lancashire’s area to assist with incidents on a number of occasions.

“They have different equipment and procedures to us so it’s important to understand how the different services work and realistic training opportunities like this – which also involve mountain rescue volunteers who we often work with – are a great way to do that.”

Firefighters now rescue more people from cars than from fires and GMFRS is working with partner agencies on various initiatives to promote road safety in Greater Manchester.

The Service’s Road Safety Strategy targets new and young drivers who are statistically more at risk of being involved in a road traffic collision in their first year of having passed their test.

Final numbers 103 members of the public, at least 5 dogs, team members and approximately 40 people on horseback climbed Rivington Pike. We needed 50 people to walk from bottom barn to the Pike to climb the same height as Everest. So we managed to climb Everest twice. pic.twitter.com/vx13wRpn8E

We smashed 64 members of the public and 4 dogs have so far climbed the Rivington Pike. We needed 50 people to walk from bottom barn to climb the same height as Everest. Let’s see if we can get 100 people and climb it twice. pic.twitter.com/1FzzCRVet5

Runners and walkers are the group at most risk of accidental drowning in the UK - 77 people died in 2016 because they fell in the water whilst out for a run or a walk #BeWaterAwarepic.twitter.com/AfUVuX1WGz